Sponsors (3)
The bill modestly increases midwifery training and targets resources to underserved areas—helping students and some communities—while relying on limited federal funding and targeted rules that may leave many shortages and institutions unaddressed.
Students in accredited midwifery and nurse‑midwifery programs receive direct financial and training support, lowering the cost and barriers to completing midwifery education.
Communities gain a larger midwifery workforce over time because the bill expands and funds midwifery programs, increasing the number of trained midwives entering practice.
People in Health Professional Shortage Areas and rural/economically disadvantaged communities are more likely to get midwifery care because grants prioritize programs that recruit, train, and place graduates to serve those areas.
The authorized funding levels are modest ($15M over five years in one provision and $20M over FY2026–2030 in another), so national midwifery capacity and access may only expand modestly and unevenly, leaving many shortage areas still underserved.
Taxpayers fund the program through new federal outlays (authorizations in both sections), which reduces fiscal space for other priorities.
Programs located within schools of nursing are prohibited from receiving some funds, which may exclude existing integrated programs and reduce the pool of eligible institutions and students.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates competitive grant programs authorizing $35M (FY2026–2030) to expand midwifery and nurse‑midwifery education, student support, and clinical preceptor capacity.
Creates two complementary federal grant programs to expand training and workforce capacity for midwives and nurse‑midwives by funding student support, new or expanded accredited programs, and more clinical preceptors. The Department of Health and Human Services would award competitive grants to institutions of higher education and to schools of nursing, with priority for programs serving Health Professional Shortage Areas and for recruiting students from rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Total authorized funding is $35 million for FY2026–FY2030, split between a $15 million program for midwifery schools/programs and a $20 million program for nurse‑midwifery programs in schools of nursing, with specified annual allocation percentages for student support, program expansion, and preceptor support.
Introduced December 3, 2025 by Ashley Hinson · Last progress December 3, 2025